One of the best things you can do to improve your heart health is to lower your bad cholesterol or LDL. Here are the 10 best things you can do to lower your cholesterol:
1. Increase the intake of fibre in your diet. Make low-calorie, high-fibre food the cornerstone of your daily diet. Go for foods that rich in complex carbs, like whole grains, dals, fruits and vegetables. Research shows that foods like oats that are high in soluble fibres can significantly reduce your cholesterol levels.
2. Include foods that give you antioxidants. Increasing your intake of antioxidants is a great way of combating free radicals that can adversely affect your cholesterol levels. One way you can ensure you and your family are getting enough antioxidants is by using a fortified oil like Saffola Total. Saffola Total is a unique blend of rice bran oil and safflower oil, with twice the antioxidant power of olive oil (previously considered one of the best oils for cholesterol). It has the added advantage of Losorb Technology, which means it has 10% lower absorption capacity than other oils.
3. Reduce your consumption of meat. If you absolutely love non-vegetarian food, then go for lean meats like fish or skinless chicken, instead of red meats like beef, pork and mutton.
4. Lose some weight. If you are overweight and have been planning to reduce, now is the time to really do it. Research shows that losing 3-5 kgs can help bring down your cholesterol numbers.
5. Get moving. Even if you don???t need to lose weight, you should make physical activity a must in your daily life. Regular exercise now only reduces LDL or bad cholesterol, but can also raise your HDL or good cholesterol.
6. Avoid saturated fat. Examples of foods that are high in saturated fats are butter, ghee, cream and cheese. Cut down on these and instead go for foods that have polyunsaturated fats like safflower oil, one of the components of Saffola Total.
7. Include fish in your diet. Fish and fish oil are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids that have been known to have a lowering effect on cholesterol.
8. Get plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of cholesterol-lowering antioxidants. Include vegetables like cabbage, onions, carrots and tomatoes and fruits like avocado, grapes, apples and citrus fruits.
9. Eat nuts. Studies show that eating nuts like almonds, walnuts and peanuts can help reduce your LDL or bad cholesterol. Don???t go overboard on them though and try and restrict yourself to about 50-60 grams of nuts in a day.
10. Quit smoking. Yet another reason you should put that cigarette out, now! Numerous studies show that your levels of HDL or good cholesterol get lowered by smoking, along with it being a major risk factor for heart disease.
BDST: 1343 HRS, FEB-26, 2014
